SUPPLY CHAIN ARTICLES

• 5 Critical Regulatory Topics To Watch In The Oligo Sector

  Though our guidances have helped us achieve upwards of 20 commercially approved oligo products, as I listened to GSK’s director of CMC policy and advocacy, Katie Duncan, present at TIDES, it struck me just how far we have yet to come. Here, I single out a few of the biggest topics of regulatory discussion shaping the oligo therapeutics market.

• Biomanufacturing Capacity Crunch: It's The Supply Chain's Fault

  What's behind the protracted biopharma manufacturing capacity crunch, when will it end, and what are manufacturers doing to keep supply on track? During Biotech Week in Boston ad BioProcess International, CDMOs and sponsors weighed in.

• The Cell-Free Revolution: Breaking The Plasmid DNA Bottleneck

  I was excited to be given the opportunity to sit down with Jodi Barrientos, CEO, Ribbon Bio, to learn more about the current state of the synthetic DNA space. In the following Q&A, Barrientos and I discuss some of the synthetic DNA industry’s biggest goals and the challenges that stand in the way of bringing synthetic plasmids more commonly into the mRNA development paradigm. 

• The mRNA Supply Chain Revolution: Materials, Methods, And Momentum

  mRNA innovation now hinges as much on manufacturing materials as on molecular design, with novel inputs shaping performance, cost, and scalability. As these less-mature materials move rapidly into production, strategic material selection and supplier alignment are becoming critical to manufacturing resilience and long-term success.

• Beyond The Gold Standard(s): Modernizing Oligonucleotide Synthesis

  A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down with OPT Congress speaker Phil Baran, Richard Lerner Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research. Baran was slated to (and did) present a keynote on the innovations shaping the next generation of oligo synthesis. Here, I share the biggest takeaways I had from our conversation, touching on how he sees the science of oligo chemistry and manufacturing advancing in the near and far future. 

• Therapeutic Oligonucleotides: Regulations & Quality Standards

  Oligonucleotides have surfaced in the past few years as promising therapeutic agents to treat diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, respiratory disorders, cancer, and diabetic retinopathy. This article recaps a recent USP workshop where participants from regulatory agencies, industry, and academia gathered to discuss best practices and perspectives.